Beauty, or Personality?
by the-art-of-escapism
Summary: A goblin king finds two girls that would be good for marriage. But which will he pick? The one that's beautiful, or the one that would make a better king's wife? Rated T just in case. Disclaimer:I don't own Clare B. Dunkle's books or anything in them.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Are we there yet?" I asked my mother.

"No, not yet Hannah." She answered calmly, and continued to stare out her window in the car.

I sighed and put my legs up against the back of the car seat in front of me. My mother, my father, my 17-year-old sister Morag and I were going to visit the lodge we had rented for the summer. It was in some remote location in the middle of the woods called…oh, what was it? Hollow Hill? Hallow Hill, Something like that.

I brushed my long, dark brown hair away from my face as I looked out the window. It was almost dinnertime, so the sun would be setting soon. Then the stars would come out. My brown eyes searched the sky for any sign of a star just coming out. But there were none…At least, not yet. Oh, how I loved the stars. They were just so beautiful…words could not describe their beauty…I wished I could see them, but…

"NO! God, my phone messed up!" My sister's voice brought me out of my thoughts. I glanced at her as she waved her phone around the car.

"What do you mean, 'no service'?" Morag yelled at her phone. She snapped it shut and put on _that_ look, you know, the one that's dripping with anger. I was smart enough not to talk to her, let alone mention that there were no power lines anywhere near, so her phone would obviously not work. She saw me watching her, and glared at me. I stuck my tongue out at her, and went back to looking out the window. 'Very mature…' I thought to myself.

I acted young for my age. Strangers usually guessed that I was 12 or 13, not 16. Of course, I didn't look younger, but no one seemed to take that into account anymore.

"We're here." My father announced as he turned a corner.

"Finally!" My sister cried. My father parked the car, and I jumped out.

We stood in front of a large white house that looked to be from an earlier century. I remember the Inn Keeper talking to me about it when we stayed at his inn for one night on the way here. He told me that the last time anyone lived there, two girls disappeared, and a man was found stuck to the ceiling. I shivered as I tried not to imagine what it would have looked like. I made sure my parents did not find out about this. After that, the innkeeper told me, the house had only ever been rented.

I ran to the trunk of the car and pulled out my suitcase. I pulled it along to the front door as fast as I could. I opened the door and pulled my suitcase inside.

It was a big house: Very big. From the outside it had looked to be about three stories, and it did from the inside too. It had four big rooms on the first floor, and from the pictures my parents showed me, it was the same on the two floors above as well. The front door faced a straight hall and a staircase that began a couple or so feet inside. I could see the back door from where I was standing. To the left of me was a living room, and on my right was a dining room. The kitchen was by the back door, but I would go there later. The house looked extremely clean and tidy; I guessed that someone who lived nearby had cleaned it up for us before we came.

I ran up the steps to the floor with the bedrooms. I randomly chose the room that faced the front of the house, and brought my bag inside. This room had also looked to be cleaned before I came. There was a big window to the right, and a four-poster bed beside it. Across from the door was a desk with a large mirror and a bench in front of it. On the other side of the room were a dresser and a bookshelf.

I ran to the window and looked out of it. I could see the car way down below, and I watched my sister as she entered the house, carrying her suitcase. I put my suitcase on my bed, and then ran out the room.

"I call this room!" I shouted down the steps, and then ran back into my room. A moment later my sister came in, and looked around.

"Oh no fair! I want this room!" She argued.

"Nope, too bad, I called it!" I told her, and she left grumpily, muttering something to herself.

After putting all my clothes in the dresser and stacking all my favourite books onto the bookshelf, filling it up, I put my hairbrush and comb on the desk. I glanced into the mirror. My dark brown hair was wavy and long, and my brown eyes were the same shade of brown they had been my whole life. My skin was a bit darker than my mother and sister, but not dark enough for it to be called anything but a tan.

I wasn't exactly the prettiest person on the block. No, it was my sister who was the beautiful one in the family. Everyone knew it. Everyone who saw her picture in my locker back at school commented on it. If they were a girl, they would say, 'Oh, she's so pretty!' and if they were a guy, they would say, 'Wow, she's HOT!' Nobody ever said anything about me, but I didn't expect him or her to. I knew I was ugly, and I was okay with it. Well, maybe not okay with it, but I was used to it. Used to it enough to be comfortable with it.

"Hannah! Come downstairs! Dinner is ready!" My mother called, and I walked out my room, not looking back into the mirror once.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

After dinner, everyone was just hanging around the house, so I decided to go for a walk.

"Just be careful, and don't go off the path, alright? And if you hear strange noises, run home right away!" My mother explained to me.

"I know, I know." I told her, putting on a dark blue sweater, and going out the door.

I walked to the back of the house, and found some paths leading into the forest. I chose one of them randomly, and headed towards it. It was a cool summer night, but not cold enough to run back and grab my jacket. I sauntered along the path, studying the tall trees that reached the sky. It was a beautiful forest I had to say. Just beautiful…

The path suddenly started inclining, and I walked up until I saw a ring of trees. There was a gap between two of the trees, and I climbed through it. Another ring of trees was inside that one, and I climbed through another gap a few trees down. I looked ahead of me and gasped. The top of the hill was flat, and I could not see beyond the trees either to the distant hills or to the woods outside. I was in what looked like a huge room, with the tall, wide trees as walls.

Above me, there was a perfect circle that mirrored the shape of the tree circle. The sky was now dark, and millions of stars were plastered onto the sky. I felt my jaw drop as I walked to the centre of the circle, and lay down. I looked ahead, and watched the stars. They were so very beautiful, as usual. There were so many of them too. I usually was only able to see a couple of them, since I lived in the city, but here, with no city lights, every star was in sight.

After a while I sat up, and studied the tree circle again. 'I wonder who built this place', I thought to myself. It couldn't have been natural. No, definitely not. The way the huge tree trunks were squished together, making it so no one could see inside of the circle if they were on the outside.

I heard a branch break, and my head twisted towards the source of sound. Nothing was there. I had an eerie feeling like I wasn't alone, but I took it as just my imagination. I ignored it, but I decided to go home anyways, just in case. I got up and walked out of the tree circle, glancing back one last time before sprinting back home.

I had a nightmare that night when I went to sleep. In my nightmare, something was chasing me through the woods. I could never tell what it was, but I knew it was scary. I ran as fast as I could, but right as it was about to get me, I woke up.

I also had this feeling like someone was watching me. Wherever I went, whether it was on a trip to the nearby town, or reading a book in my room, the feeling wouldn't go away.

After that night, I didn't go back into the forest. Something told me that it was dangerous. So at night I stayed indoors. The rest of my family did too, although my sister went outside one night to look for something she dropped. I watched Morag from the window to make sure she didn't go in the forest, and thankfully, she didn't. After that, the feeling of someone watching me went away, and I was finally free of nightmares.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

A couple weeks later as I was reading a book in my room, I was interrupted by the sound of shouting. I sighed, closed my book, and walked down the stairs. I peeked around the corner and watched as Morag screamed at my father. They were having another argument, the third this week.

Morag screamed again, and ran out the front door, slamming it behind her. I was about to walk back up the stairs when my heart skipped a beat. She went outside. It was night.

I ran out the door, shutting it behind me, as I raced behind the house and watched as she stormed up a path leading into the forest.

"Morag! No!" I cried as I ran after her. I didn't care about my own fate at the moment. Whatever was in the forest could get her! I had to save her!

I sprinted after her and ran into the forest. I soon caught up to her, and I ran in front of her and turned around. She stopped. She was giving me _that _look, but I knew what I had to do.

"Morag! You can't go into the forest! It's dangerous!" I exclaimed.

"I don't effing care! Leave me alone!" She yelled back and pushed past me. I fell down and scraped my arm on something sharp. It started to bleed, but I didn't care. I got back up and ran after her.

"Morag! Please! Listen to me! It's dangerous!" I shouted.

"You've been in the forest at night, so why can't I Hannah?" She screamed at me.

"Because I didn't know it was dangerous, and I only went in once!" I screamed back.

"Then how do you know that it's dangerous now?"

"I just do, okay! Listen to me! Get out of the forest! Please!"

"NO!" She elbowed me sharply in the stomach, and the breath was knocked out of my lungs. I fell to the ground once more, and I tried to breath again. Once I was able to, I got up and ran after her. A felt a sharp pain in both my stomach and my arm, but I didn't care. I had to save Morag. I knew that she was mean to me, but in her random good moods, she was incredibly nice. And she was my sister! I had to save her!

I ran up the hill as Morag stomped into the tree circle. I slid between the two trees, and then jumped through the hole in the second ring. I ran to the centre of the tree circle, and then fell down. I breathed deeply as the pain in my stomach started ebbing away, but my arm was still hurting. I glanced at it, and gasped. Blood was dripping all over my arm, and my wound was still bleeding. I wiped it on my pant legs, and then got up and looked around. Morag was leaning against a tree, her arms crossed, and she still had _that_ look on her face. I walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"It's not safe here." I stated calmly.

"I don't care." She said. I leaned my head against the tree and closed my eyes.

_Snap! _I opened my eyes and turned my head towards the source of the sound. It came from across the tree circle on the outside. I heard shuffling distantly, and my heart skipped a beat. Whatever I had heard on that first night I came here was coming back.

Morag heard it too, and we both stood up. I glanced at her. Fear was plastered onto her face. I knew what I had to do. I stood in front of her as five hooded men came into the clearing.

They were all about average height, and all had black capes on, with hoods covering their faces. Four of them stood a couple feet back, and one came forward to the centre of the clearing. He chuckled to himself as I spread my arms out and put them behind me, so that only Morag's head peaking out behind me could be seen.

"And what do you think you're doing, Miss?" The man closest asked me in a deep voice. There was something about it…it was very enticing…but no, I had to stay focused.

"I'm protecting her from you. Don't come near!" I shouted as he took a step forward.

"That will be quite unnecessary Miss Hannah. Now step aside and hand her over." The man told me as he took another step.

I gasped. "How do you know my name?"

The man chuckled again. "Oh, I know more than just your name. Now hand your sister over, or you'll regret it."

"Never!" I cried. The man sighed, and lowered his hood. I gasped again, and I felt the blood drain from my face.

The man had grey skin and black, shaggy hair. He had a normal mouth but it was light brown, and he had a black spot on his normal nose. He had two gold eyes that shined through his dark hair. But the weirdest thing about him was that he had two pointy, furry grey ears sticking out from his head. I was terrified of this man. No, he wasn't a man. He wasn't human. He was a monster.

I heard whimpering behind me and glanced at Morag. Her skin was very pale, and her eyes were wide with fear. I knew I had to protect her. I knew I couldn't let this monster take her away.

"Go away! Just leave her alone! If you want to take her, you'll have to go through me!" I yelled, and put on the bravest face I had as I glared back at the monster. He stared back at me and his face slowly turned to shock.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Of course I'm sure!" I shouted. "Now go back to wherever you came from!"

"If you say so…"The monster trailed off, and he snapped his fingers. I suddenly found myself limp, and I fell. Just before I hit the ground, one of the guards caught me, and picked me up. I watched as Morag went limp and was picked up by the other guard. They followed their leader out of the tree circle, carrying us with.

"I thought you said you'd go back where you came from! Liar!" I accused the monster. He kept walking as he answered. "I assure you that goblins never lie. And we are going back to where I came from. I'm just taking you and your sister with me is all."

My heart skipped a beat. "W-What?" I stuttered.

"Oh yes." He said. "I'm a goblin." He glanced at me and saw the expression on my face. He chuckled, and kept walking.

I glanced up above me and watched the stars through the trees. For some reason, I had a feeling that I wouldn't ever see them again. 'Goodbye.' I thought to them, and then slowly closed my eyes as blackness enveloped me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Marak Wolfears sauntered through the forest, with his advisor and three guards following him, two of them carrying the two girls that he was taking with him back to his kingdom under the lake._

_"Marak?" His advisor asked._

_"Yes?" He replied._

_"Which one are you going to pick? I thought we were coming to get the older one, so why are we bringing both back?" He questioned._

_Yes Marak, he asked himself, why are we bringing both of the girls back? He had seen Hannah that first night, but didn't want to take her. Her sister Morag, on the other hand, was beautiful. He had seen her about a week or so after the family arrived, when she went outside to look for something. She was so beautiful…it was this girl that Marak wanted the King's Wife to be, but her younger sister stepped in the way. Although Hannah acted childish, she was very brave, and showed no sign of fear from him. She wanted to protect those she loved, in this case her sister Morag. She would make an amazing King's Wife…but Marak had already started to love Morag's beauty. He couldn't make up his mind, so he decided to bring them both back._

_"I don't know which to pick." He finally answered later than night, when they had arrived in his kingdom. The two girls were sent to different rooms in his castle, and he and his advisor went to his. Marak explained his thoughts to his advisor, and he listened carefully._

_"You're in a tough situation there. But I think that you should pick the younger one. She will make a better King's Wife, I know. Morag has a temper, and gets mad easily, while we have never seen Hannah angry, except when she was trying to save her sister."_

_"So what do I do with Morag then?" Marak asked._

_"I would say trade her with the elves. The elf king is also looking for a bride. Give him Morag in exchange for one of his elves, who you could marry off to one of the guard." His advisor answered._

_"Then that is what I shall do." Marak Wolfears announced._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I woke up to see a stone ceiling with intricate designs above me. I studied them for a moment, but then everything came back to me. I gasped and sat up, remembering what had happened with Morag in the forest. I looked around the room I was in, and saw a guard standing awkwardly at the door. He was pretty normal, except two fangs hung out of his mouth.

"Where's Morag?" I asked the guard. He glanced at me.

"Um…well…you should ask the king that." He responded.

"Then take me to the king!" I cried and stood up.

"Very well then…" The guard opened the door behind him, and led me out.

We walked through what looked to be a castle. There were many creatures that walked by us, all with some sort of deformity, and I almost fainted again, but I knew I couldn't. I had to find Morag and make sure she was alright.

Finally, the guard led me into a throne room. The goblin who had kidnapped me sat there, on the throne, talking to someone standing beside the throne. The goblin beside him had chalk white skin, and bright blue eyes, but instead of hair, he had what looked like brown fur, and he also had two sharp fangs hanging from his mouth. I glanced at the goblin that kidnapped me again. 'He's the king?' I thought to myself.

"Where's Morag?" I asked him as I walked up to the throne. The king glanced at me, and smiled, showing brown uneven teeth.

"Good evening, Miss Hannah." The goblin king replied. I stopped a few feet away from the throne.

"Evening?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, you've been asleep for two days now." The goblin king told me, and I gasped.

"Two days?" I cried, and then remembered what I came here for. "Never mind about that. Where is Morag?"

My kidnapper sat there, studying me, looking as if he was trying to decide something. I tried to act as brave as I could, knowing that I would never find out if I was scared. His advisor watched me to, but I paid to attention to him.

"You're not ready to know." He simply answered.

"But I need to know! At least tell me if she is safe or not!" I pleaded.

"Yes, she is safe." He said, and I sighed with relief. He had to tell me at one point, and I knew that I would find out eventually, but as long as she was safe, then everything was fine for now.

"So…um…where am I?" I asked him.

"You're under the lake." The goblin king told me. I blinked.

"Where am I?" I asked again. He chuckled.

"You don't believe me, do you?" I shook my head. He sighed. "Well, then, I'll just have to show you, won't I?" He stood up and walked over to me. I froze, not sure what to do. He took my arm and led me out of the room. I was still not sure what to do, so I let him take me to wherever we were going.

He led me through the castle until we were finally outside…or what seemed to be outside. As I walked through a doorway, I gasped. In front of me was a spectacular sight.

I was in what looked like a gigantic stone room, and below the castle was a valley. There was a little village, and there was a river too. Trees covered the hills, although I somehow knew they were fake. I looked above me, and saw a ceiling made of water, which I guessed to be the lake. A small circular light shone through, and I guessed that was the moon.

"Now do you believe me?" the goblin king's voice sounded as if it came from far away, though I knew he was right beside me. I just nodded my head, for I was unable to speak.

"My name is Marak." I turned around and faced the goblin king. He held out his hand for me to shake. I paused. I was still scared of this…monster…goblin…whatever he was, but he _was _being polite…I shook his hand, and found it surprisingly warm.

"I'm Hannah, although I think you already know that…" I told him, and he laughed.

"Yes, I do." He said. Everything was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "You see that door Hannah?" I looked to where he was pointing and saw a stone door in the wall with no handle not too far away.

"Yes. What about it?" I asked.

"That is the door to the outside. You will not be able to go out because of this mark I've put on your forehead." Marak explained to her. I frowned and put my hand to my forehead, but could feel nothing.

"When can I go out again then?" I asked.

"You won't."

"WHAT?" I gasped. "Why not? I don't want to be down here! Even if it is really beautiful! But my parents need me! And my sister needs me! I can't stay down here! I just can't!" I realized I was getting mad, and tried to calm down quickly. I hated being mad. The madder I was, the more I hurt other people. I dropped my head and looked at my feet.

"You are needed for this kingdom." Marak replied calmly.

"How am I?" I whispered.

"I'll explain. In each generation since the goblin race was begun by the First Fathers, the King has gone outside the kingdom to find a wife, either an elf or a human girl. The King's Wife has borne only one child, and it is always a son that is born. Each son becomes Marak when his father dies. The King is the most important goblin. He is the guardian and source of the magical gifts of our race. Without the King, the race is lost."

It sounded as if Marak had told someone this before, or if another goblin king from an earlier generation had told someone this. I listened carefully, but something popped up into my mind.

"There's no such thing as elves." I told him. He just laughed at me, and I frowned.

"Yes there are. Remember, goblins never lie."

"I'm still confused as to why I am…"I started, but then stopped. The blood froze in my veins as I recalled what Marak had told me just a moment before. _The King has gone outside the kingdom to find a wife, either an elf or a human girl. A human girl…_

"You are a human girl who is very brave, and you care very much about those you love. In short, I see a perfect King's Wife." Marak continued, although I could barely hear him. I suddenly became very dizzy, and colours were fading away. Marak was watching me, but I didn't notice. I tried to step away, but tripped over something and fell. Marak caught me, and I tried to move away from him, but I couldn't concentrate. Everything started to go black, and the darkness soon enveloped me once more.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I opened my eyes to find myself back in the room I was in before. I stared up at the stone ceiling again. I turned my head, and saw the guard at the door once more.

"I'm not going to marry him." I told the guard stubbornly. He knew what I was talking about.

"I don't think you have a choice, Miss." He replied quietly.

'I'm getting married…to a goblin king…' I thought, trying to convince myself of the upcoming events. I had to be brave. I had to figure a way out of this. Then I would find Morag, and we would go home together.

"Can you show me around the kingdom?" I asked the guard, sitting up. He looked surprised by my question.

"Oh. Um, okay." He said, and I followed him out the door.

He took me through the stone castle first, taking me into some rooms, and just walking passed others. He explained much about the castle, and then we just talked about other things. I found out his name was Alder, after one of his ancestors. We soon became good friends.

Finally, he stopped in front of a door and stopped talking. I looked up at him.

"What is it?" I asked.

"This is where we eat. Everyone is eating right now, but…" He looked very awkward. "It might be a little…scary…for you…the goblins, I mean…"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." I lied, for I wasn't sure if I would be. 'Be brave.' I reminded myself, and walked through the door after Alder.

There was a big table that went along a long hall, and what seemed like thousands of goblins were sitting there. They were all…deformed…it was…I had to close my eyes for a moment. But then a sudden thought came into my head. 'It's not their fault they're like that…'

The thought surprised me. I was right. It wasn't their fault. They were born that way. And in a way…they were like me…we were both ugly. I decided that it wasn't going to be too bad living down here in these caves.

Those thoughts came to me and left me in about 5 seconds, so I found myself still standing beside Alder when I came out of my thoughts.

"Are you alright?" He asked me, and I looked up into his blue eyes.

"Yes." I smiled at him, knowing that this time I was telling the truth. "I'm fine."

We walked towards the table, and I saw Marak sitting there. As we got closer, someone sitting beside him muttered something, and he turned his head around. He looked surprised for a moment, but smiled soon after.

"Hannah! What are you doing here? Did you get hungry? You can join us if you'd like." He told me, and I paused as I stood beside him.

"Alder was showing me around the castle." I said, and I was about to say that I would continue on with him, but the thought of food made my mouth water. I hadn't eaten for a long time. "Um, sure, I'll join you."

One of the goblins sitting beside the king got up and went to sit somewhere else. A small black creature with bright orange eyes came and put a new plate on the table. Marak got out of his chair and pulled out the one for me. I sat in it and thanked him. Then I remembered Alder was still standing there.

"Oh, I'm sorry Alder!" I apologized, but he just laughed.

"It's alright. I'm hungry too." He said grinning, and left to find a seat.

The food was…different…but it was delicious. I ate and ate until I couldn't eat anymore.

"That was very good. Thank you." I said to Marak as we left the room.

"No, thank you. That was very brave of you to come into a room full of goblins and not scream." He chuckled. I shrugged, looking down at my feet. I wasn't used to compliments.

"Would you like me to finish showing you around the kingdom?" He asked, and I looked at him. He didn't scare me anymore, and Alder was no where in sight.

"Okay." I agreed, and I followed him through another door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Marak led me through the castle, showing me the rooms I hadn't seen yet. As we walked, I started to find my sense of direction, and I could soon figure out my way around the castle…and would probably only get lost once or twice.

After the castle, he took me outside. I gasped as I looked down at the valley for the second time. It was really quite beautiful…not as beautiful as the tree circle, and the stars, but still beautiful. I sighed as I thought of the stars, sparkling bright in the sky. I looked above me at the lake, and I noticed that if I concentrated hard enough, then I could see very tiny glimpses of the stars. A big circle of light shone through the lake, and I guessed it to be the moon. It too, was so beautiful…

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Marak asked, as if he read my mind. I glanced up at him. His face was calm and serene. He didn't look scary anymore. He looked almost…sad…

"My mother was an elf." He said suddenly, and my jaw dropped.

"There's no such thing as elf's…is there?" I asked, and he glanced down at me and smiled a sad smile.

"Yes, there is. They live in the forest." He told me. We were silent for a moment.

"…So, you said your mother was an elf?" I asked. He smiled as he looked up to the moon.

"Yes, she was. She loved the moon and stars very much. I think it's gotten to me…" He said, and chuckled to himself.

"I love them too…" I murmured, staring up at the lake again. I could feel Marak's eyes on me, but I just went on staring at the beautiful sky through the lake.

"You do?" He asked, and I glanced at him. He was giving me a funny look, as if he was studying me. I felt my cheeks go red.

"What?" I questioned him.

"Are you an elf?" He inquired, and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"Me? An Elf? That's ridiculous! Why would I be an elf?" I said once I had stopped laughing.

"All elf's love the moon and stars, so I just thought…"

"Just because I love the moon and stars, doesn't mean I'm an elf." I interrupted. "Anyways, do I look like an elf?"

He studied me once more. "No, you don't."

"So, then I'm not an elf." I said.

"Do I look like an elf?" He asked suddenly, and I looked up at him.

"You're not an elf, you're a goblin!" I cried.

"But I have elf blood in me. Remember, my mother was an elf." He explained, and I stopped to think for a moment.

"I see your point. But there's no chance I could be an elf. I know for a fact that both my parents are my biological parents, and anyways, I come from a different continent! I suppose if there were elf's over there, then there could be a chance that I could have some elf ancestry, but…oh wait…"

"What?" Marak asked.

"I just remembered that my ancestors on my mother's side came from around here…so I suppose there is a small chance I have elf blood in me…but that wouldn't make any sense really, because that would mean that one of the elf's left the forest to come to where I live, right?"

"Well, there was one of my ancestors who came to live here, and the goblin king Marak Sixfingers found out that she was part elf."

"Really?"

"Yes. I think what happened was an elf woman had a child with a human man, and the mother died in childbirth, leaving the man with an elf daughter. He didn't know what to do with her, so he left her with a human family. Eventually the daughter, and her adopted father left because his real daughter had been taken by another goblin king, so they left to somewhere around London I think…Anyways, the wife of Marak Sixfinger, who was the descendent of that elf child came with her sister to live in Hollow Hill, and that's when she met Marak Sixfinger."

"Are all the goblin kings named Marak?"

"Yes. We are born with a different name though. For example: My name is Marak Wolfears, and I was called Wolfears until my father passed away, and when I became king, I became Marak."

I thought about all that Marak had told me. "…I…think…I…get…it…" I said.

After our conversation, Marak showed me the rest of the goblin kingdom. We walked through the towns, meeting goblin families, and at one point a big group of goblin children came and surrounded me, holding fake flowers in their hands and trying to stuff them into my hands. I laughed as they all hugged me at once, causing me to fall over. Though they were deformed, I found them completely adorable, and I hoped to see all the children again soon.

Finally, near the end of the 'tour', Marak showed me the door.

At first I could only see a big stone wall in front of us, but I was soon able to make out lines in the walls, forming a door.

"Hello!" I big booming voice greeted, and I jumped back from the door and fell over. Marak laughed, and I frowned as I picked myself up.

"Was that…the door talking?" I asked, and Marak nodded. I took a big breath and stepped towards the door.

"Um…hello door…uh…how are you?" I asked, trying to be polite.

"I'm fine, thank you! I don't think anyone has been as polite to me as you are!" The door boomed, and I smiled up at it, even though I knew it couldn't see me.

I had a small chat with the door, and then Marak said that I should go to sleep.

"Come back soon!" The door, cried, and I laughed and said I would.

As I crawled into my bed that night, I thought about the day's events. It was…odd…it was going to have to get taken used to. But, I told myself as I smiled in my sleep, I think I will manage it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Weeks passed, and I began to like this underground kingdom better and better. I visited the goblin children and the door constantly, and Marak taught me so much. He was actually pretty nice, I thought. I was starting to like him a bit.

I still thought of my sister constantly. What happened to her? Where was she? Whenever I told Marak I was going for a walk, I really went and searched the kingdom for her, but I never saw her. Not once. I asked him over and over again where she was, but he wouldn't tell me. Then, one night, he did.

He had finally agreed to tell me what happened to her, and I felt my heart racing. He was looking out a window with his back to me. My heart was racing, and I felt as if time was slowing down just to make me wait even longer.

"I will tell you, but you must promise me to stay safe." He said. I was surprised.

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"I can't say yet…I will tell you first…" He told me. There was a long pause that to me felt like years.

"She is with the elves." He finally said. I was too shocked to gasp.

"…What?" I asked. My heart skipped a beat.

"She is with the elves in the forest." He repeated, and I could tell that he was going to say more, but I didn't stay to listen. I dashed out of the room, running as fast as I could.

"Hannah, wait!" He cried, but I didn't listen. I felt tears weld up in my eyes, but they didn't fall. I wouldn't let them. Morag. Gone. Forever. I had to save her. I had to. Nothing else mattered anymore. I couldn't let them take her away like that. I didn't think about the fact that it had happened weeks ago.

I skidded around a corner and finally reached the door.

"Hello Hannah…" It stared to say.

"LET ME OUT!" I screamed. I knew it had never heard me like this before, but I didn't care.

"Hannah, you know I can't." It said, shocked.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU CAN OR CANNOT DO! YOU'VE GOT TO LET ME OUT!" I yelled at it, my heart pounding in my throat. "WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF SOMEONE YOU LOVED WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU? YOU WOULD WANT TO GO SAVE THEM, RIGHT? YOU WOULD GO ANY DISTANCE TO SAVE THEM! WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW DOOR! I'VE GOT TO SAVE MY SISTER! I'VE GOT TO! I CAN'T LET HER GET TAKEN AWAY FROM ME! I CAN'T! I DON'T CARE HOW MEAN SHE WAS TO ME! I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH SHE YELLED AT ME! I LOVE HER DOOR! I LOVE HER! I CAN'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO HER! I CAN'T!"

I had never yelled so much in my life. I was breathing heavily, shaking with anger.

"Hannah." A voice said behind me, and I knew it was Marak.

"WHAT?" I cried.

"What if she doesn't want to be saved?" He asked. His question hit me like a wrecking ball against a wall.

What if she didn't want to be saved?

What if she liked it with the elves?

What if I was making a grave mistake trying to save her?

But what if she did want to be saved?

How did I know whether or not she wanted to be saved?

I knew nothing. There was nothing I could do.

I burst into tears, my knees going weak, and I fell. But before I could hit the ground, Marak caught me, and hugged me. I cried into his shoulder, feeling as if the world was coming down on me. My stomach was hurting, as if someone had punched a hole through it. I couldn't breath. The tears were coming down. The world was coming down around me. I felt claustrophobic. I felt trapped. I couldn't do anything. I was stuck.

"Shh…" Marak whispered into my ear, trying to calm me down. I didn't care. I didn't. Nothing mattered. Nothing. I would never be able to do anything. Never. Never.

Everything became a blur, and I saw black spots around me. The world became hazy, and I felt the darkness coming around me, until finally, everything went black.

**A/N Hey, sorry for not updating for a while. I couldn't think of anything to write, plus I had lots of schoolwork, and tests, and such.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Days went by…or was it weeks? Or maybe even months…I'm not quite sure…But time still when by, though I was unaware of it.

I had fallen into the darkness, unaware of what was going on around me, and not caring either.

Some big events happened though, that I was partially aware of, but not quite enough to remember full details. My birthday was one of them. I finally turned 17 years old, a day I had been waiting full for practically my whole life. In some of my favourite books, the main characters were 17 years old, and to me, 17 seemed to be the best age. Also, I hoped that when I turned 17, then maybe people would stop mistaking me for being younger. Of course, none of this mattered now. When Marak woke me up to "Happy Birthday!" I was a little surprised. I had completely forgotten it was my birthday. But then, I decided, I didn't care either, and I shrugged him away.

A couple or so days (or weeks?) after my birthday, I got married. Though as depressed as I was, I was a little aware of this event. I couldn't recall much after, but I remembered getting washed up, and then seeing Marak, and some strange rituals or something going on…and then we were married. I remembered him talking to me after, saying something about me having no elf blood whatsoever, but I didn't register anything else he said.

Yes, I was depressed; extremely depressed. I think Marak tried to help me, but he did not succeed.

But then, something happened; something that snapped me back into my place in this world.

Marak had to go into the forest, and speak with the Elf King about a treaty their ancestors had made years before, and every couple of generations, the decedents would talk to each other, and make sure they still agreed with the treaty.

Marak decided to bring me along.

At first I didn't notice what was going on. I didn't even notice we were going anywhere until we were outside. The moment I felt wind blow through my long, tangled hair, part of me came back. Not all of me, but part of me. I was starting to become aware of what was around me. I noticed we were in the forest, and Marak was holding my hand, taking me with him to wherever he was going.

"Where are we going?" I asked him. He looked at me, shock plastered onto his face. I hadn't spoken for a long time, at least, not that I could remember.

He quickly recollected himself and answered, telling me about the treaty with the elves he had to talk to them about.

When he said "elves", the realization hit me as if someone had punched me. Sudden memories came flooding back to me, of when we first went to the house in Hallow Hill, of the argument Morag and my father had had, of Morag sauntering into the forest, and me chasing after her, of me trying to protect her, of my first glimpse of Marak…it all came back to me. All my memories up to the argument I had with the door and then fainting flashed before my eyes.

Morag…

She was with the elves.

The elves…

Marak was taking us to see elves…

I prayed and prayed with all my might that Morag would be there with them. I don't know exactly who I prayed too…I never really believed in God, and I never went to church except for weddings. Whoever I prayed too, I prayed deeply.

And, fortunately, my prayers were answered.

Marak led me into the strange tree circle where I had first seen him. The moment we stepped through the trees, my eyes searched frantically throughout the elves that had come for Morag. At first I couldn't see her, and my heart fell.

But then, suddenly, two elves parted, and there she was. She looked almost the same as she had before. She still had her lovely dark hair, and her bright eyes, but she was taller now. And she no longer had _that _look on her face. Instead, she had a calm and serene look, and when she saw me, she smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen her have.

At first we just started at each other, smiling. Everything was silent, as if waiting for something to happen.

A moment passed, and we were suddenly running towards each other, arms reaching out, and tears welling up in our eyes. I could barely see her through my tears when we finally reached each other and hugged. We burst out crying, and we comforted each other, calming each other down.

"What happened Morag?" I asked her quietly, after what seemed like hours. Marak and the elf king had already started speaking to each other about the treaty, but I didn't care. All I cared was that I finally saw Morag again.

"I don't really know, Hannah. I woke up, and there were all these elves! Elves! I didn't even believe in that sort of stuff! I haven't for years! But there they were, right in front of me!"

She told me her story of how they had told her she was going to get married to the Elf King, and at first Morag was furious. They kidnapped her, wanted to marry her off to some fairy-tale creature, and expected her to be okay with it?

She told me that she was sure that the elves were scared of her at first. She would yell at them if they came near her, and she was always sulking.

But then, finally, some elves that were not scared of her, convinced her to at least meet the Elf King, and she did.

"It was like love at first sight." She sighed as she described the moment she saw him for the first time, and how all of her anger was flushed away, and replaced with a new feeling.

They had gotten married the moment she turned 18 (I wished her a belated Happy Birthday, and she wished me one as well), and she was living happily with him.

She asked me how things with the goblins were (her husband had told her about them) and I replied, saying everything was good, and that Marak took good care of me. Of course, I only lied about the first part.

It was then I realized everything Marak had done for me. Throughout my time being underground with him, he took care of me, and cared for me, and never yelled at me once.

Morag and I spent the rest of the night with each other, talking and sharing memories. She had never been so nice to me in my whole life. Even during those moments she was not angry, she hadn't been this nice.

And I was finally happy. After all this time of worrying, of being depressed, of being frightened and scared and what-not, I was happy; Not only for me, but for Morag too. She loved her life so much, and I decided then, that I would try to learn to love mine too.

Then, finally, Marak was done discussing the treaty, and it was time to go back to our underground kingdom. Morag and I would have to part, but not for long. Our husbands had decided to let us see each other once a month and we would meet in the tree circle and spend the evening with each other. We were ecstatic about these plans, and we bid our farewells happily, and left.

When I was about to go to bed, I saw Marak standing by the window in our room, watching out of it. I walked up to him, and gave him a big hug from behind. He turned around, and hugged me back.

"Thank you. For everything." I whispered, and we stayed there for a long time, holding onto each other.

**A/N I apologize for taking such a long time to write another chapter. I had a major writer's block for this, and I had no idea what to write whatsoever. Also, I'm working on an actual story right now that I want to try to get published, so I was caught up with that too. Plus, there's school work and all that junk. I'll try to write another chapter soon, but who knows when that'll be. Hope you liked this one. Reviews would be nice. ******** Thank you.**


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